*Who Says That Technology Doesn’t Pay Off?*

**Website Gets Major Kudos**

***Arguably the biggest problem that the mortgage industry faces is the foreclosure crisis. There has to be a better, faster, easier way to workout troubled loans and foreclose on loans that can’t be worked out. That’s where technology can play a role and it has. The National Mortgage Settlement (Settlement) announced last week and filed in federal district court by the Department of Justice, the 49 state attorneys general, and the five largest mortgage servicers, mentions Hope LoanPort (HLP) as a model for a neutral, national Web-based portal to facilitate compliance with the Settlement. HLP is a non-profit 501(c)(3) based in Washington, D.C. Here’s the scoop on why this matters:

****The landmark Settlement requires, among other new servicing standards, that the five mortgage servicers develop a portal that allows homeowners to submit and check the status of their foreclosure-alternative applications. The Settlement also mandates that other stakeholders, specifically, housing counselors who are working with homeowners, shall have access to a similar portal to be used to submit applications and to communicate with mortgage servicers. HLP was mentioned as a model portal in each of the separate consent orders filed in district court.

****Since its creation in 2009, HLP has been the prototype for a collaborative, multi-party, Web-based transactional platform focused on foreclosure prevention. Its mission is to provide transparent, efficient and traceable access to foreclosure-alternative options while ensuring homeowner information is securely and confidentially shared among key stakeholders such as housing counselors, mortgage servicers and homeowners. This efficiency helps everyone make informed, meaningful, and timely decisions that ultimately better serve homeowners at risk of, or in, financial distress.

****HLP has successfully worked with the housing counseling community and the mortgage servicing industry to agree upon a standard set of data and document requirements that allow consumers to apply for foreclosure alternatives. HLP has relationships with 14 mortgage servicers, including the five mortgage servicers who agreed to the Settlement. These servicers manage over 80% of the mortgages serviced in the United States. HLP is also working with over 700 HUD-Approved/National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) certified Housing Counseling Agencies with over 3,800 individual housing counselors in 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

****Camillo Melchiorre, President and CEO of HLP stated, “Hope LoanPort is proud to be mentioned in the National Mortgage Settlement and looks forward to working with the mortgage servicing industry, as well as the regulatory and housing counseling communities to better address the needs of homeowners.”